HIGH-POWERED ELECTION COMMITTEE – PHASE V-C For the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry [Appointed in terms of the order dated 18.11.2025 passed in WP (C.) No. 1319/2023 by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India] ELECTION NOTIFICATION 2026 Proceedings No. 3 of 2026 dated 30.01.2026 BAR COUNCIL OF TAMIL NADU AND PUDUCHERRY High Court Campus, Chennai – 600 104.

HIGH-POWERED ELECTION COMMITTEE – PHASE V-C
For the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry
[Appointed in terms of the order dated 18.11.2025 passed in WP (C.) No.
1319/2023 by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India]

ELECTION NOTIFICATION 2026
Proceedings No. 3 of 2026 dated 30.01.2026

BAR COUNCIL OF TAMIL NADU AND PUDUCHERRY
High Court Campus, Chennai – 600 104.

ELECTION OF THE MEMBERS
The High-Powered Election Committee Phase V-C, as appointed by the
Hon’ble Supreme Court dated 18.11.2025 in W.P. (Civil) No. 1319/2023 (M.Varadhan Vs. Union of India & Anr.), and in compliance of the said order and the orders thereafter, concerning the Election of Members to the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, hereby notify the Election of 23 Members to be held on Monday, the 30th March, 2026 between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., as per the Schedule hereunder and the instructions thereto.

The Hon’ble Supreme Court by its further orders dated 08.12.2025 and 18.12.2025 in W.P. (Civil) No. 581/2024 (Yogamaya M.G. Vs. Union of India & Ors), has directed to provide 30 per cent representation for women in the Bar Council Elections, subject to the final outcome of the case, pending before the Supreme Court. On the subject, the Bar Council of India has issued a communication dated 23.12.2025 and the relevant para is as follows:
“For a Council of total strength of 25, the women’s component may be reflected as 7 seats, comprising 5 seats to be filled up through election and 2 seats through co-option by Bar Council of India. In other words, for a Council of 25, the working computation is 7, and the women elected component is 5. The election notification may accordingly notify election for 23 seats, and within those 23 seats, a women elected component of 5 seats, to be secured in accordance with the directions of the High-Powered Election Committee.

SCHEDULE
1. Total Number of Seats 25
2. Number of Seats for which election is to be held 23
Number of other candidates to be elected
– Members who have been Advocates for
atleast 10 years on the State Roll – Others
12

6
Number of women candidates to be elected 5
Women candidates to be Co-opted 2
3. Release of Provisional voters list 14.02.2026
4. Objections / Rectifications / Modifications, if any, in the voters list 21.02.2026
5. Publication of Final voters list 28.02.2026
6. Issue of Nomination Forms for prospective candidates 28.02.2026 from 10 am to 01.03.2026 till
5 pm
7. Last date for filing Nomination 07.03.2026 till 5 pm
8. Publication of Provisional list of candidates, after scrutiny 09.03.2026
9. Rejection and Withdrawal of Nominations of candidates 10.03.2026 by 4 pm
10. Publication of Final list of candidates 10.03.2026 by 6 pm
11. Place of Polling/Election Various booths across the State to be notified
12. Date of Election 30th March 2026,
Monday between
10 am to 5 pm
13. Counting of Votes 03rd April 2026 onwards

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. The names of the Advocates shown in the Final Voters List are entitled to vote in the Election.
2. All Voters shall vote at the Polling Stations, where their respective names are shown.
3. Voting shall take place at the POLLING BOOTHS as notified or such other places notified.
4. Where there are less than 50 voters and if the place of bar association is situated to any nearby polling both, then such voters will be attached with the nearest Polling Stations and shall be entitled to vote at those Polling Stations.
5. The names of the Advocates published in the Final Voters List are entitled to contest in the Election of the Bar Council, subject to such eligibility.
6. The prospective candidates shall file nomination in the requisite form with two proposers, being voters from the Final Voters List, with the prescribed fee, all enclosures, declarations, along with an affidavit by the contesting candidate, regarding pendency of Disciplinary Proceedings, Criminal Cases or conviction within a period of 9 months, prior to the date of Election.